


My Reasons for Fighting...

by Megane



Category: Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Amnesia, Bonding, Childhood Friends, Contemplation, Dialogue Heavy, Emotional Manipulation, Existentialism, Fighting, Free Will, Hope, Human Nature, Memories, Mentioned Characters, Psyche Out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 22:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6444733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Megane/pseuds/Megane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After gaining his crystal, Cloud takes a moment to collect himself and process his future from here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Reasons for Fighting...

Cloud stared up at the darkening sky. The stars twinkled sweetly overhead. Between his fingers, he twisted a blade of grass. All the way left then all the way right. Over and over, but never once taking his eyes off the sky above. Just at the edge of his peripheral vision, the sky was still a baby blue mixed with orange, but right here just above and ahead of him, the sky was a dark blue fading into black. The stars were scarce but beautiful.

Cloud dangled his left leg over the edge of the outcrop. His right one was propped up. His boot set down on the gravel and grass. His left leg swung idly, jostling only when his boot collided with the face of the rock. He was reliving a conversation, soundless as it was, but his mind and body were traveling to another place and time. There was… someone else. Cloud remembered her as a dark haired woman with a kind smile. She was strong, a bit busty, and he could envision her gracefully coming to sit beside him and mimicking his pose. She was still talking, but with a tilt of her head, she waited for him to say something. There was a beat; Cloud furrowed his brows, and she only smiled as if his reaction was funny.

What was her name…?

As she crossed her arms over her right knee and looked skyward, she began to disappear. Cloud's face grew more concentrated until she was completely gone out of his mind's eye. Now, the concentration lessened and was replaced with worry.

        “Find anything?” asked a voice.

Cloud tucked his chin and glanced over to the left. Firion was walking towards him. Cloud was still twisting the blade of grass, and once Firion was at his side, Cloud brought his attention to it. He sighed through his nose.

        “… I remember something.”

        “Really?” Firion couldn't help but sound surprised. A beat of silence and then he asked, “Do you mind if I join you?”

        “Go ahead,” Cloud replied, flicking the grass blade away from him. He stared straight ahead towards the infinite distance. “I remember a woman sitting beside me. She seemed friendly.”

        “Maybe she's a friend of yours.”

        “Maybe.”

Firion sat down beside Cloud and placed his hands on the grass. He adjusted himself for a second, glancing down at the collection of rocks under his palms. He sighed through his nose and lifted his head, looking towards the distance.

        “What's it like having your Crystal already?” Firion asked. He glanced over towards Cloud, leaning his shoulders forward.

        “Strange. Calming, a bit.”

        “Really?”

Cloud reached out his hand and conjured the item. The crystal was slow with revealing itself. An ethereal green smoke materialised and began to swirl above his palm. As it collected towards the center, the smoke began to glow and brighten. It swirled in a spherical shape, and finally, the crystal appeared. Firion's eyes widened. He leaned back slightly, never once taking his eyes off the item.

        “The one who gave this to me, Sephiroth… He said that he'll be guiding me. He'll be the one pulling the strings.”

        “Do you believe him?” Firion asked this, and a few seconds later, he looked up to Cloud.

        “No, but there's a part of me that doesn't know.” Cloud curled his palm over the crystal. It chilled his arm as it faded away. He set his hand down on the grass and leaned his body back. “He was arrogant and spoke to me as if I was nothing. A puppet, he said.”

        “Cloud. You're not a puppet.”

        Cloud looked to his right, staring down at the grass. “… Some part of me isn't so sure.” He reached out to the spot where the woman was sitting and let the silence settle between them.

Firion watched Cloud the entire time. At first, he didn't know what to say. This had never been an issue with him before. Someone calling him a puppet, an inanimate being with no control over his own destiny.

        “… That isn't you. You still have a chance to figure things out. If he believes he's in control, you'll just have to prove him wrong. You triumphed, Cloud. _You_ have the crystal.”

        “Yeah.” Cloud sat up again and faced straight ahead. “I'm the one that survived.”

There was a pang of _something_ in Cloud's tone that Firion was unable to trace. He sighed through his nose, shoulders deflating slightly before he righted himself.

        “I believe that… you'll cut your way out of his grasp if you must. You will be rid of him once and for all.”

        Cloud smirked. “You're optimistic.”

        Firion smiled. It was small, confident. “Let's just say I commonly root for those with the odds against them.”

Cloud muttered something under his breath, but his tone was still friendly. Firion couldn't make it out, but he let it pass. He adjusted his position to make himself more comfortable. Firion crossed his arms over his right knee and let his left leg dangle over the edge. Cloud glanced over to the other man, and after a moment, he waved his hand towards Firion.

        “Just like that. That's how the woman was sitting.”

        Firion laughed gently and looked down at himself. “Really? Who would have guessed?”

        “A strange coincidence.” Cloud's tone was a little lighter, almost playful. There was a tiny smile on his face, but as he sat straight up, it went away.

        Firion licked the inside of his bottom lip, grazing over his bottom teeth. “You know… Cloud...”

        “Hm?”

        “I think you'll find your reason for fighting. Maybe not now, but… It's out there, you know?” Firion took a chance and stared at the blond to his right.

        “… Yeah.” A pause. “Wild flowers… I never would have guessed that was a reason for fighting.”

        Firion could only smile. “I want to shower the whole world with them. Show everyone that beauty can bloom anywhere. Hope too...” As he spoke, Firion reached his right hand out and gestured out to the distance, sweeping his arm slowly to the side. He lowered his hand down. “It's silly.”

        “Childlike,” Cloud agreed, his tone distant.

        Firion scoffed, a smile on his face. “One could say that, but one's hopes and dreams don't have to make sense to anyone else.”

He smiled over at Cloud, but the former SOLDIER just kept his gaze focused forward. Firion lowered his gaze, his small smile still in place. A second later, he stood up. As he began to walk away:

        “I'll find it,” Cloud spoke up. His voice was firm, though absent of any traceable emotion. “Even if the first step is to forge my own path for that goal, I'll find my own reason for fighting.” Cloud paused and drummed his fingers slowly. “Even if that means… fighting tooth and nail. I'll make sense of all this struggle. I'll understand why it is my life is on the line.”

        “Such is in our nature as humans...” When Cloud looked up at him, Firion continued, “We struggle. We endure strife.” He opened out his hands slowly and once again gestured out to the eternal darkness across from them. “We fight with all our might to make sense of our own lives. It's life, but to do so willingly… To fight that head on…” Firion curled his fingers towards his palm and smiled remorsefully. “I admire that.”

        “...Hmph.”

Cloud stood up and dusted off his pants. Firion lowered his hands at his sides and watched as the blond approached him. Cloud came shoulder to shoulder with Firion and glanced over to him.

        “Strife. You know that's my last name?”

        Firion smiled. “Is it?”

        Cloud looked away and nodded. “Maybe it's in my nature to struggle… At least that proves I'm alive.”

With that, Cloud began walking forward towards camp. Firion looked at his hands and closed his eyes. He drew his half-curled fists towards his chest. After a moment, he turned on his heel and followed Cloud towards the others.


End file.
